A Roadmap for the Future of Shared Vocabularies in Australia: Harmonising Across Sectors, Disciplines and Internationally
Steven McEachern1, Megan Wong2, Simon Cox, Donald Hobern3, Natalia Atkins4, Kheeran Dharmawardena5, Lesley Wyborn1 1Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia2Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia3University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia4Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), Hobart, Tasmania, Australia5Cytrax, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Abstract
Shared Vocabularies form a key part of the Australian and international data landscape. Vocabularies, ontologies, classifications, glossaries and thesauri, form a key foundation for many data assets, services and infrastructure across the research, government and industry sectors. Formalised vocabularies capture expert knowledge, including definitions, in a form that can be used to organise and enrich data collections. Their use increases data interoperability by enhancing a shared understanding of the concepts used.
Shared Vocabularies and services supporting them form a diverse ecosystem in Australia that is not fully coordinated, meaning that many potentially valuable vocabularies are not discoverable or reusable by those communities that could benefit from their reuse.
In November 2022 a group of vocabulary experts came together in Canberra for a workshop to explore how the current ecosystem of vocabularies in Australia could be made more sustainable and broadly used. A draft roadmap has been developed for the future of the vocabulary ecosystem within Australia and more broadly.
The BoF will present key elements of the roadmap, including possible means for achieving a future state for the creation, management, use and sustainability of vocabularies.
This BoF will seek feedback on the draft roadmap and ask several questions of the audience:
– Is there anything missing?
– Are the perspectives of government, research and industry covered?
– How does it align with equivalent initiatives internationally?
– How do we best leverage cross-disciplinary commonalities?
– What should the priorities be in the short and medium term?
Biography
Steve McEachern, Director, Australian Data Archive, Australian National University, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7848-4912
Megan Wong, Research Associate, mr.wong@federation.edu.au, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2991-2308
Simon Cox, Consultant, simon.j.d.cox@pm.me
Donald Hobern, APPF Data Management Director, donald.hobern@adelaide.edu.au, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6492-4016
Natalia Atkins, Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), Project Officer, Natalia.Atkins@utas.edu.au, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3468-5525
Kheeran Dharmawardena, Cytrax, Principal Consultant, kheerand@cytrax.com.au, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4292-7475
Lesley Wyborn, Honorary Professor, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia Lesley.wyborn@anu.edu.au. 0000-0001-5976-4943